Romance Scams in the United Kingdom
Romance fraud is one of the highest-value scam categories in the United Kingdom by total losses, with victims losing millions collectively each year. Action Fraud reports significant under-reporting due to shame, meaning real losses are likely far higher.
Part of: Fake Online Partners
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
UK romance fraud victims span all age groups and demographics, but older adults and recently divorced individuals are disproportionately targeted. Scammers build relationships over months, exploiting loneliness and genuine emotional need before financial requests begin.
The Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud protections introduced in the UK banking system provide some recourse for victims who were manipulated into making bank transfers — but only if the victim's bank concludes that reasonable care was not taken, an assessment that can be complicated in romance fraud scenarios.
How this scam works on United Kingdom
The scammer establishes a romantic connection on a UK-based dating site (Match, eHarmony, Plenty of Fish) or on Facebook and Instagram. Over weeks or months, conversation becomes daily and intimate. The scammer presents as a professional — an offshore engineer, a doctor working abroad, or an investor — that explains the inability to meet.
A crisis emerges: a medical emergency, a problem with a project that needs funding, or a shipment held at customs. The victim is asked to send money via bank transfer. Some victims send dozens of payments over months before the deception is discovered. The emotional investment by this point is comparable to a long-term relationship, making the realisation extremely distressing.
Post-fraud, victims may be targeted by recovery scammers who have obtained their details from the original fraud network.
Common red flags
- Online relationship with someone who has never been able to meet in person due to work abroad
- Partner's life circumstances seem designed to explain unavailability — oil rigs, military, foreign medical aid
- First financial request follows a crisis that the victim is uniquely positioned to help with
- Requests for bank transfer to a personal account or an account held outside the UK
- Partner insists the relationship must remain private while financial involvement grows
- Promised visit always delayed with a new, urgent reason
How to protect yourself
- Video-call any online partner at least once per week before developing emotional investment
- Use reverse image search on all profile photos to detect stolen images
- Speak with a friend or family member about any online relationship that involves financial requests
- Contact your bank before making any large transfer — they may be able to delay and query it
- Visit the Stop Scams UK website at stopscamsuk.org.uk for reporting and support resources
- Report suspected romance fraud to Action Fraud even while the relationship continues — early reporting aids investigation
How to report it
- Report to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040
- Contact your bank immediately under the Contingent Reimbursement Model if you have transferred money
- Seek emotional support from Victim Support at victimsupport.org.uk — romance fraud causes significant psychological harm
Frequently asked questions
Can UK romance fraud victims recover money through the bank's APP fraud protection?
Under the UK's Contingent Reimbursement Model and the 2024 mandatory APP reimbursement rules, banks must reimburse victims of APP fraud in most cases unless gross negligence is demonstrated. Report to your bank immediately, file an Action Fraud report, and explicitly reference APP fraud when contacting your bank.